New technique uses electronic jolt and nanoparticles to reveal early signs of pancreatic cancer

Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University have developed a new technique using an electronic jolt and nanoparticles to reveal the telltale signal of an insidious form of cancer.

The sophisticated technique uses a small electronic jolt on a microchip to collect nanoparticles shed by tumors into blood. The next step involves fluorescent staining to reveal biomarkers associated with pancreatic cancer.

The study was blinded so the researchers did not know which samples came from the cancer patients.

The results were strikingly effective, with a 97% likelihood of correctly distinguishing people with cancer from those with benign pancreatic disease. That's far higher even than direct biopsies of the pancreas itself. Typically, the invasive technique - involving tissue retrieval using ultrasound-guided fine needles - reveals 79% of pancreatic cancers.

"The more cancer biomarkers, the brighter the electrodes on the chip become," Ibsen said.

The new technique benefits from the fact that cancerous tumors secrete an abundance of a particular type of nanoparticle - easily sampled with a simple blood draw.

"Whatever biomarkers the tumor has are carried on these little particles," Ibsen said. "Our technology allows us to detect those particles."

Even better, the study demonstrates that scientists can distinguish cancerous pancreatic tumors from benign precancerous lesions, which can't typically be accomplished through imaging alone. Discerning the difference could mean sparing patients an invasive surgery to remove a mass that turns out to be benign.

"The information from our blood test could help the surgeon know whether this is something that really needs to come out," Ibsen said.

Ibsen estimates the technique is probably five years away from clinical use.

Source:

Oregon Health & Science University

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